Process of preparing merchantable iron from tin-plate scrap.



E. A. SPERRY. PROCESS OF PREPARING MERGHANTABLE IRON PROM TIN PLATE SCRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13, 1908.

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

A r/M7010 Swag.

UNITED STATES PATENT onruon ELMER A. SPERRY, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

. PROCESS- OF PREPARING IRON FROM TIN-PLATE SCRAP.

To all it may concern:

citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New. York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Preparing Merchantable Iron from Tin-Plate Scrap, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the reclaiming of the values from tin-plate scrap .and especially the reservation of the black scrap remaining a ter the tin has been removed and the preparation of such scrap for fu'rnacing.

The further object of the invention is to preserve any inert bodies or residues associated with the tin, for instance, the resulting black scrap from attack by the reagent or reaction products present.

When reclaiming the values from tin scrap,

as for instance by making the chlorin compounds of tin from scrap containing about 2:}% of tin, the heat generated 1s sufiicient to raise the scrap as a whole, includmg the steel plate with specific heat of .1 to a very high temperature, unless the heat of the reaction is'absorbed.

hereas dry chlorin or moist chlorin in the presence of anhydrous stannic chloriddoes not attack steel, yet owing to the zone where the tin and steel are alloyed, the complete removal of the tin, which can only beaccomplished by chlorin so far asjknown, leaves this zone in a spongy state with a great many minute particles of iron resting upon the surface of the black scrap, which are usually converted into halogen compounds of iron. In every instance these compounds are hydroscopic, and in most instances to the point of deliquescence, the resulting solutions breaking up into the oxid' of iron and the acid radical which attacks more iron; the oxid thus gradually increases until finally of the steel has been converted into the oxid.

Another object of the invention is to prevent this progressive action of the halogen iron compounds, and to do this certain hyolrogen or cathodic treatment, or both of the.

black scrap are resorted to in a suitable electrolyte, preferably one containing an alkali, free or neutral. This treatment ionizes the acid radical which goesto the anode, leaves the steel and thus the black scrap is Specification of Letters Patent. I Application filed Inch 1a, 1998. serial No. 420,948.

manta Oct. 13,1908.

w rendered non-rustable, and becomes a true Be it known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a

a diagrammatic view of the arrangement of.

that particular portion of the plant which relates to the present invention and Fig. 2 is a view of the treating chamber showing the bundled scrap .in place therein-,the treating chamber is shown in vertical section.

The scrap is preferably compressed prior todetinning, the bundles being preferably :lam'inated and indicatedby 3 (Fig.1 2).

These are placed in circular rows in the revolving cylinder 4, which is preferably per-. forated, resting upon the spider 5, allof which is supported by the shaft 6' operated by pulley 7, resting on suitable ball-bearings 8 and guidedby the rods 9 rising from "the bottom spider 5- upwardly through the spider 10. The shaft is insulated above by insulating packing 11 and below by insulation 12, working on the exterior of tube 13 risin from the bottom of the cylinder 14.

which may or may not be provided with the jacket indicated at 15. The connection with the jacket is secured through valves 16 and .17 additional connection is established with vertical pipe 13 by holes'13. portion of the ball-race indicated at 8', resting on the insulation 11, serves to establish connection with one pole of the generator 18 as indicated by conductor 19, the other pole being connected by conductor 20 to the cylinder 14. A continuation of pipe 13 is indicated at 21 which bends and rises up and connects to the bottom of tank 22. the upper portion of which may be served with a supply pipe 23, containing valve 24:; the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the scrap causes a flow or circulation of the fluids the arrows indicating the direction of such flow in the circuit, viz: out at the top of the cylinder 14, downwardly through tank 22 and upwardly through the pipe 13, the centrifugal force through the interstices of the scrap securing a rapid circulation from the center outwardly 1n the The lower direction indicated. The treating vessel wherein the tin is removed during the process o'f detinning may be similar to chamber 14m any other form of reaction chamber may be employed.

Fig. 1 gives a diagrammatic'view of the general arrangement of plant, showing the various connecting passages. Y gles to. the furnace are two jacketed cylinders 14 and 25 respectively. In the upper one on thedrawing, the billeted scrap after being mounted upon the shaft 6, is lowered, and treated in any suitable manner, for instance Washing, to prepare it for the next step in order, which is raising to a high temperature in the furnace, whereupon and preferably while still heated, it goes into either one -or the other of the treating vessels 26, where it may be still further treated by heated air by the proper manipulation of the valves while under conditions of rota tion and corresponding centrifugal stress which being applied as it is, parallel to and in line with the laminae 3 of the bundles 3, tends to open same and thus open up the bundles of scrap for better penetration of the liquids or gases,and, in fine, the special treatment to which the scrap is being subjected at the time; this centrifugal stress is preferably applied in the pretreating vessel 25 and also in the furnace somarked. In

. addition to this centrifugal stress, the scrap may be heated and'cooled, which in and of itself tends to open up the interstices of compacted scrap to a remarkable degree. It has other activeagent as stated. After the reaction is completed, the scrap is then heated to a high degree and may be then or afterward air-washed with heated air, all under conditions of centrifugal stress or change m centrifugal stress, for removing the last trace of both the reagent and the product. The remaining black scrap now goes to chamber 14 after. the reaction and the separating treatment above described in the reaction VOS fQl 2G. and preferably while still in a heated state. Here it is washed free of any remnant of the reagent or products, and treated with a suitable non-rusting material. or compound, such for instance as caustic alkali, or a. neutral bath from which alkali may be derived. When in this bath and in the presence of suitable electrolyte, such as the caustic. the scrap is insulated from the vessel itself, current passing through the At right anshaft 6'and through the scrap in the electrolyte, constituting-the scrap as the cathode element;v the direction of the current being from. generator 18 to'vessel 14, thence to 'thescrap through the electrolyte, shaft '6,

conductor 19, back to the generator. This ionizes any acid radical retained within the interstices of the scrap, and quickly dissipates and dispels same towards the anode; nascent hydrogen, may also be and usually is liberated at the cathode by the current which it willberemenibered penetrates the innermost interstices of the compacted scrap, and thus the scrap is freed from acid and theiron compounds are reduced to metallic iron and thereby rendered merchantable. From vessel 14 the group of. retainers is dismembered. Each retainer is in turn lifted from its position around the'shaft, and the billets removedyfrom the retainers as .by

dumping, and the retainers refilled, and the process repeated.

It will be readily understood that the'scrap treated by this process need not be billeted, but when so billeted it is possible to develop in a 60 retainer a pressure of over 100 lbs.

per square inch on the interior of the billets.

by a comparatively low rate ofv revolution of the retainer upon the shaft 64. This organization requires little power except for overcoming the inertia, inasmuch as the whole load is borne by the ball bearings 8 seen in Fig. 2 below pulley 7 It will furthen be noticed that the centrifugal stress thus developed is unilinear-in direction and is at right angles to the line of the thickness of the billets andalso at right angles to the line of pressure applied in the compacting of the billets, and furthermore in line with the laminations' 3 within the billets, whereby the interstices of the compacted scrap are opened up vigorously for the entrance of the reagent. removal of the product for the heating both before and after the reaction, for the drying ofi of the product and for the impregnation of the mass by the alkali and electrolytically developed action and also the hydrogen all for the protection of the black scrap.

Having pointed out the essential features of my process or method of treatment of tin scrap, I may state that the process should I not in any way be limited to the exactdetails of the method' or apparatus described herein withrefercnce to any particular step or indeed the exact order of the steps. which are simply given as illustrating, one method of carrying my process into effect.

It should be mentioned that this process may be varied-in some of its parts to suit the special form of tin bearing material or the peculiarity of the reagent or electrolyte itself, thus the process should be suited to the changes in characteristics of both ele ments, and in this instance steps may be,

altered or omitted and others may be einremoving the tin treatingthe resulting black ployed and the invention extends to such use. i

.I claim l. The process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which consists in" treating :the scrap with 'a suitable reagent for removingthe tin and treating the result- I iron from tin plate scrap which consists in ing black scrap with hydrogen for removing the 'residuary reagent or reaction products therefrom..

2. The process of preparing merchantable treating the scrap with a suitable reagent for removing thetin, and treating the resulting black scrap with nascent hydrogen for re-- moving the residuary reagent or reactionproducts. therefrom.

3. The process of preparing merchantable treating the scrap with a suitable reagent for removing the tin,- and treating the resulting 30,black scrap with an electric current coupled r treating the scrap with a suitablereagent for' as cathode in an alkaline electrolyte.

The process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which consists in treating the scrap with a suitable reagent for removing the tin, treating the resulting black scrap with an electric current in a suit able electrolyte, rinsing and dryin 6. The process of preparing merch-ahtable iron from tin plate scrap which consists in treating the scrap with a suitable reagent for removing the tin, treating the resulting black scrap with an electric current in a suitable electrolyte, rinsing and drying with application of heat.

7. The process of preparing merchant-able ironfrom tin plate scrap which consists in treating the scrap witha suitable reagent for, removing the tin,- treating the resulting black scrap with electricity in an electrolyte suitable for removing the reagent and forcing the electrolyte into the interstices of the scrap by openingup the mass during electrolysisl 8. The process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which'consists in removing the tin, treating the resulting black scrap with electricity in an electrolyte suitable forremoving the reagent and forcing the electrolyte into the interstices of the scrap by opening up the mass by mechanical pressure duri'ngelectrolysis.

9.- The process of preparing merchantable iron from. tin. plate scrap which consists fin treating the scrap with a suitable reagent for iron from tin plate scrap which consists intreating compacted, laminated scrap scrap with electricity in an electrolyte suitable for removing the reagent and forcing the electrolyte into the interstices of the scrap byopening up the mass by centrifugal treating the scrap with a' suitable reagent for removing the tin, treating the resulting black scrap with electricityin an electrolyte suitable for removing the reagent and forcing the electrolyte into the interstices of the scrap by opening up the mass by heat and pressure during electrolysis. a

11. The process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate-scrap which consists in treating compacted scrap with a suitable reagent for removing the tin, washing the re-' sulting black scrap and treating such scrap with hydrogen.

12. The process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which consists in with a suitable reagent for removing the tin, treating the resulting black scrap with'electricity in an electrolyte suitable for removing the reagent and forcing the electrolyte into the interstices of the scrap by opening up the mass bypressure applied'transversely to the layers during electrolysis.

13. The process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which consists in treating the scrap with a suitable reagent for removing the tin, treating the resulting black scrap with an electric current in an electro- 1 lyte suitable for removing the reagent or reaction products therefrom and controlling the temperature of the electrolyte. g

14. The process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which consists in treating the scrap with a suitable reagent for removing the tin-and treating the resulting black scrap with an electric "current in a hot electrolyte suitable. for removing the reagent or reaction products therefrom.

.15. The process of preparing merchantable ironirom tin plate scrap. which consists in treating the scrapwith a suitable reagent for removing the tin, treating theresultlngblack scrap with heat and with an electric current,

' inan electrolyte suitable for removing the reagent or reaction products therefrom.

16. The process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which conslsts in treating the scrap with a suitable reagent for removing the tin, treating the resulting black scrap with an electric current in an electrolyte suitable for removing. the reagent or reaction products therefrom and varying the temperature of the electrolyte.

17. The'process of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which consists in treating the scrap with a suitable reagnt'for removing the tin, treating the resulting'black scrap with electricity in an electrolyte suitable for removing-the reagent and forcing. the electrolyte into the interstices of the.

. iron from tin .plate scrap electrolyte v 20. T e process of preparing merchantable i scrap by pressure within mg electrolysis. 1 i

18. The process of preparing h t bl which consists in the electrolyte dur Y ucts therefrom andjvi o y circil treating the scrap with a suitable reagent forremoving-"the tin, treating the resulting-black 10' scrap with an electric current in an electrolyte suitable for removing the reagent or reaction products therefrom, and moving the electrolyte during such treatment. a

19. The process-of preparing merchantable iron from tin plate scrap which consists intreating thescrap with a suitable reagent for removing the tin, treating the resultingblack scrap w th an electric currentinan el e'suitable for removing the reagent or re action products therefrom and agitating the during such. treatment.

ironvfrom plate scrap whlch consists in ectronesses.

suitably treating the scrap for removing the tin treating the resulting black scrap-with an electric current, in an electrolyte suitable for removing. the reagent or reaction rod-- for removingv'the reagent or reaction prod ating 4 4 ucts therefrom and vigorously circulatin the electrolyte in a circu t; a ortion of whic 1 lies exterior to the electrolyzmg chamber.

In testimony" whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presenceof two subscribing'wit-r.

. in i E MERA. sPERRYf Witnessesr p A. FRAnoIs-O. PAUST. 

